Writing Through the Fog

Migration.

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:24:00 -0800

I anticipate a virtual mess over the next few months, as I’m testing out Wordpress and other alternatives. Feel free to continue to visit this blog as well as my new one at Wordpress, which is now linked on my home page (www.cherilucas.com) under “blog.” At this point, I’m not sure which one I’ll use, as the new one may, as well, be temporary.

Twitter.

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:05:06 -0800

I hate to admit this, but I spend more time on Twitter these days. Posts on my recent cruise are still to come on this blog, but for now, follow me via @cherilucas. Thanks.

Building In-Class Confidence.

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:04:29 -0800

My article on fostering in-class participation skills, curiosity, and confidence was posted at Education.com today.

War Dances.

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:31:00 -0800

My Book Beat review of Sherman Alexie’s War Dances, a collection of new short stories, poems, and musings, is published in the San Mateo Daily Journal today. Alexie’s stories draw out our shame, fear, and vulnerability, and he has an incredible ability of revealing our human flaws and needs. He is subtle in doing this, but the effect of his storytelling can be quite emotional.

Twitter Press Cruise Photos.

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:33:00 -0800

I’ll be uploading photos from my cruise to the Caribbean to this Flickr set over the next several days. I’ll try to post as many of my favorite shots as possible. I had packed two film cameras and stocked up on black and white and color rolls — it’s too bad I didn’t end up taking them along on most of my island excursions…

Trazzling in the Caribbean.

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:19:00 -0800

I’m back from Princess Cruises’ Twitter press trip in the Western Caribbean. I wrote a handful of trips on Trazzler highlighting some of my favorite excursions on the islands. In case you weren’t able to follow the #FollowMeAtSea Twitter stream each day, here’s a list of the trips. (Note: If you don’t have a Trazzler account, you may only be able to read up to five trip pages. The solution? Either sign up for an account or clear your browser history to start anew.)

Itinerary

Arrival: Miami and Ft. Lauderdale

Epitomizing Business-Chic at the Miami Airport in Florida

Watching Yachts Pass Through the Drawbridge in Ft. Lauderdale

Princess Cays, Bahamas

Pondering a Shade of Blue in the Waters of Princess Cays, Bahamas

Escaping from the Crowds Along the Rocks in Princess Cays, Bahamas

Photographing Colorful Cottages on Princess Cays, Bahamas

At Sea

Circumventing Cuba on a Massive Ship in the Caribbean

Brushing Elbows with the Crew on Your Cruise in the Caribbean

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

Cycling the Island Neighborhoods of West Bay in Grand Cayman

Finding a Turtle’s Sweet Spot at the Turtle Farm in Grand Cayman

Letting Your Imagination Run Wild in Hell in West Bay, Grand Cayman

Roatan, Honduras

Tasting Roatan’s Local Culture in Flowers Bay, Honduras

Cozumel, Mexico

Swimming with Dolphins in the Warm Waters of Cozumel, Mexico

Scootering the Streets in San Miguel de Cozumel in Mexico

Admiring a Mayan Goddess Along the Sea in Cozumel, Mexico

At Sea and Return to Ft. Lauderdale

At Work (On Vacation).

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:02:17 -0800

Hi everyone. Sorry for the delay in an update. The Twitter cruise has been more busy than I’d thought it’d be. Since I left and thus lost my laptop charger while tired and delirious at the Miami airport, I haven’t been able to use my computer, which has really been unfortunate because losing access to my own laptop is the equivalent of trying to do things with my other hand. My guest, Angel, brought her Mac, so I am lucky to even have access to a computer in my mini-suite, but of course not having your own computer just isn’t the same.

I was given an iTouch from Princess Cruises, which is pretty awesome. I’ve been carrying it with me to use, but my BlackBerry has been reliable so far. I’ve felt busy since the trip started and it’s been hard to keep up with others’ tweets; there are many things I’d planned to do daily—sound blogs, keeping up with the #followmeatsea stream, and posting to Flickr often—but whenever I have a free moment I just want to lie down, relax, and enjoy my time…

Tomorrow, we’re at sea all day and are en route to Grand Cayman. We’ll tour the ship in the afternoon, and perhaps hang out at one of the pools. I’m tweeting from various Trazzler accounts, as well as my own.

Cheers,
Cheri

Caribbean, Here I Come.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:12:48 -0700

In one week, I’ll hop on a red-eye flight to Miami and will be en route to Ft. Lauderdale to get on board Princess Cruises’ Crown Princess. I’m joining travel journalists on a seven-day cruise to the Western Caribbean on a hosted trip from Princess Cruises, stopping in Grand Cayman, Roatan (Honduras), Cozumel, and Princess Cays, a private island in the Bahamas.

My friend and I have booked onshore excursions: biking, visiting a turtle farm, and snorkeling in Grand Cayman; hanging out with dolphins and relaxing on the beach in Roatan; exploring Cozumel in a scoot coupe; and finally kayaking in the ocean in the Bahamas. Since this is a Twitter press cruise, I’ll be tweeting about my experiences on these islands — and writing about my favorite excursions and unique and noteworthy places on Trazzler. It will be fun to ditch the city for a week to lounge, sip cocktails, and explore under the Caribbean sun.

If you’re on Twitter, be sure to follow @Trazzler to read trip tweets throughout the week of November 7-14. As appropriate, there may be tweets about the trip on the regional and obsessions accounts, including @Trazzler_Mex (Mexico), @Trazzler_SoFla (South Florida), and @Trazzler_Beach (Beaches).

Look out for this hashtag, too: #FollowMeAtSea

During the trip, I’ll post photos here, on Trazzler, and hopefully on Flickr as well. It all depends on how much time I spend by the pool or at the buffet table…

Stay tuned!

P.S. Many thanks to the folks at Princess Cruises, as well as the Trazzler team, for making this trip happen for me and my guest.

Photo taken at the Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver,...

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:32:00 -0700

Photo taken at the Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver, BC.

While Japanese gardens have been a longtime favorite, I’ve gotten more exposed to classical Chinese gardens, too, and the mastery of detail and meticulousness of grounds are equally stunning. Read a bit about Vancouver’s garden, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, in the city’s Chinatown.

Photo by Graham Raithel. Ghost towns are pretty spooky. The...

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:28:00 -0700

Photo by Graham Raithel.

Ghost towns are pretty spooky. The mining town featured above, in Nevada, reminds me of that horrible movie, The Hills Have Eyes. (No, I’m not a fan of slasher flicks.) It’s desolate and a bit scary, yes. Still, these abandoned towns are a photographer’s dream. Read about Rhyolite.

Always yearning for Montreal — and the spiral staircases...

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:46:01 -0700

Always yearning for Montreal — and the spiral staircases of the Plateau.

Setting Standards.

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:49:00 -0700

Setting Standards.:

My piece introducing the proposed Common Core Standards for language arts and mathematics to parents, and what it means for K-12 students, has been published at Education.com and will be featured on the site the week of Oct. 19.

I’m starting to post images on my photoblog again, which...

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:52:13 -0700

I’m starting to post images on my photoblog again, which I’ve been neglecting for the past several months. Please visit!

Kids as Citizens of the World.

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:44:00 -0700

Kids as Citizens of the World.:

“Going Global,” my short article about how parents can promote global citizenship to their kids, is online today, Oct. 12. Click on the link above to check it out.

A Delicious Memoir of Food.

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:33:00 -0700

My review for New York Times food critic Frank Bruni’s memoir, Born Round, runs today, Oct. 9, in the Daily Journal. A well-told story of a man’s lifelong struggle with eating and his rise as one of New York City’s most feared restaurant reviewers.

I recently went wine tasting in Escondido, CA, and visited two...

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:20:09 -0700

Ferrara Winery

Orfila Winery

I recently went wine tasting in Escondido, CA, and visited two wineries in particular that I enjoyed. Orfila Winery, not far from the Wild Animal Park of San Diego, and Ferrara Winery, a historical point of interest nestled in an unassuming neighborhood. Very different tasting experiences and grounds, but both charming in their own way.

Read about my experiences below:

Orfila

Ferrara

Building Participation Skills.

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:15:31 -0700

I’m gathering input from education experts, teachers, and parents for a K-12 article that will offer ideas on how students can stay engaged and on topic in class, and also be more confident to ask questions — perhaps they think they’re asking a “dumb question” or aren’t sure how to articulate their thoughts aloud. The piece will gather tips, and hopefully ideas for games and activities that parents can do with their child, to boost confidence and communication skills needed to contribute to a class discussion.

Please email me at cherilucas@gmail.com if you’re interested in sharing your thoughts.

Fall & Halloween Content.

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:18:00 -0700

Here are links to K-12 articles and holiday activities I’ve submitted for October:

Spooky Storytelling: Tips on Telling a Halloween Tale

Tips for a Green Halloween

Halloween Around the World

The Hidden History of Halloween

Activity: Set Up a Spooky Beverage Bar

Activity: Play Halloween Bingo

Activity: Create an Autumn Tree of Resolutions

Photo of the Crown Princess from www.gillscruise.com. I’m...

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:16:00 -0700

Photo of the Crown Princess from www.gillscruise.com.

I’m headed to the Caribbean from November 7-14 on Princess Cruises’ inaugural Twitter press cruise. My guest and I will sail out of Ft. Lauderdale to the Cayman Islands; Roatan, an island off the coast of Honduras; Cozumel, the island off the coast of the Mayan Riviera; and finally to Princess Cays, Princess’ private retreat in the Bahamas.

I’ll be representing Trazzler, the very awesome travel website, and will be writing trips for the site and tweeting about the journey, too. When my departure gets closer, I’ll be sure to remind you to follow the Trazzler Twitter account so you can read about the adventure! The hash tag for the trip is #followmeatsea. Princess also maintains their own Twitter account as well.

For more info, check out my itinerary.

I received a fisheye lomo camera for my birthday and finally...

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:44:29 -0700

I received a fisheye lomo camera for my birthday and finally developed a roll, taken in Monterey and other places in the Bay Area over the summer. What I love about these lomo cameras is each roll is a surprise, depending on what type of film you use. Here, I used expired Kodak film from 2002. Be sure to visit my growing Flickr set of fisheye images as time passes.